Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-28

|
and the occasion was made one of jubilee
to the parish The handsome edifice on
Second avenue was beautifully decorated
in commemoration of the event. Festoons
of evergreen appeared GA the front and
about the sides of the room, while the
rostrum and immense pipe organ were
with flowers and green's. On
the organ also appeared in white letters
'1S37-18S7." On the altar rail was
wreath and cross of roses and other flow.
ers. The music had all been prepared
with especial fitness to the anniversary
day. The
JUBILEE SERMON
was preached by the pastor. Rev. A B.
Meldrum. who chose his text from Levitt |
Gus, 25:11.
jubilee shall that fftieth year be with you.
The sermon was almost wholly histor>
ical Commencing, Mr.. Medium said,
ION the 9th day of November, 1897
just fifty years ago today-when what
is now the city of Rock Island, was the
village of Stephenson, a company of men
and women met in the dining room of
the Rock Island house The object of
their meeting was two-fOld. They met
first to enjoy feast though not such a
feast as was ordinarily partaken of in
their place of meeting. These men and
women were christians, who, in their ex
periences, had realized the profound truth
of Christ's declaration, man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that
| proceedeth out of the mouth of God
In that room, where men usually psrtook
| to the satisfaction of the body, these
christians partook of that true bread
| which came down from heaven; of which
! the righteous eateth to the satisfaction
| of the soul And he who 'satisfeth the
longing soul and illeth the hungry soul
| with his goodness, was with his people
that day. and their souls were refreshed
and strengthened.
The other object, Mr. Medium said,
was to make provision if possible for
their future and constant spiritual neces>
stiles, BY the organization of church,
Presbyterian church. And then and there
was that object accomplished. The Pres
byterian commission, under whom the
organization was effected, consisted OF
Rev John Montgomery and Rev. Thomas
Pillsbury The persons who composed
the new organization were ten in number
and their names were William Dickson,
A. G. Donaldson. Ann NJ. Conway, MARY
Donaldson, Phebe H. Donaldson, Marian
c. Dickson, A. P. Russell, David NJ
Dickson. Ben Mckay. Sarah Mckay
William Dickson and A. c. Donaldson
were the first ruling elders. The churct
was called Tine First Presbyterian
Church of Stephenson. Illinois"
For convenience, Mr.. Medium divided
the whole period of the fifty years of thu
church's history into decades, and he too
occasion to say at the outset that be feI
at decided disadvantage on this occa
sion on account of his brief connection
with the church, and his limited knowl
edge of the history of the church. saw
what could be CLEANED from such record
as had been handed down. 1t woul
have added greatly to the interest of tn
historical sketch, he said, if he had bee
able to speak from personal acquail
lance The first decade coming und'
the review was from 1887 to 1S47. Tn
first pastor was Rev. Michael Humme
who was installed the first Sabbath of Il
June following. The next pastor vi
Rev. J. A. Woodruff. who came in Eel
1s41, and whose pastorate lasted thr
years, during which time fifty pers0I
were received into the church. The ne
incumbent was Rev. Samuel Clean
whose lsbors, commencing near t
close of 1e43, continued until Nov 1874
During Mr. Clelands pastorate-In Is
a church building was erected Up
this time the congregation had WI
< shipped in a little one-story scho
house at what is now the corner of Thi
avenue and Thirteenth street, in a hou
on Third avenue and Eleventh sire,
and in the second story of a buildI
erected by Col. John Buford on the s
of Sixteenth street, between First a
Second avenues. Ii was at first propos
to expend not more than 500 in
church, and this to be raised by subscr
ton, yet such was the enthusiasm that
al over 81 900 was subscribed. In Is
the church was completed and dedi ca
to God The dimensions of the cbul
were "a by so feet, the material br
with stone foundation, its location n
the corner of what is now Second aver
and Fourteenth street At the close
the first decade there were ffty-i
members.
The second decade-from 1547
1S57-was taken up. Rev. E. W. L
kin succeeded Mr.. Cleland in Ase
1S48 and was pastor nine years. Fl
December 1853 to August 1854, Rev
P Mintfort supplied the pulpit
September, 1854, Rev. 5. T. vii
came, and he was pastor fourteen We
and there were forty four accession.
membership during that time. 1t
during this time thst it was decided
erects commodious and handsome chu
The new edifice was built in 1857 on
same lot with the old one, but INN
ately east of it on the corner, at q t
cost of $4,000.
MIR. Medium here spoke of the sec
church organized in 1S4s. In Jun
that year it was founded under the
pervision of what was then known as
New school" The services were
in the court house and seven persons
scented letters and entered into mem